Heavy travel expected over Labor Day weekend

ATLANTA (WTOC) -

Georgia troopers are gearing up for heavier traffic over Labor Day weekend. The holiday travel starts at 6 p.m. Friday and ends at midnight Labor Day.

Troopers will be on the lookout for impaired drivers, speeders, people not wearing seat belts, and people who do not properly restrain children, according to the Georgia State Patrol. Troopers and Motor Carrier Compliance Officers will be carrying out road checks and increased patrols on the secondary roads.

Fourteen people died in traffic crashes last year during the Labor Day travel period, according to data from the Crash Reporting Unit at the Georgia Department of Transportation. There were 2,580 traffic crashes and 1,042 injuries, in that travel period, data show.

The Operation Zero Tolerance, the national campaign aimed at getting drunken drivers off the road also runs through the end of Labor Day.

Seat belt usage will also be stressed. Gov. Nathan Deal has proclaimed the Labor Day holiday weekend as "Bee a Buckler" Safe Driving Weekend in the state.